


Under the Starlight

by VincentVanNintendogh



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Love, Marriage Proposal, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sad and Happy, Sad with a Happy Ending, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:46:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28695663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VincentVanNintendogh/pseuds/VincentVanNintendogh
Summary: After five long years of war in Fódlan, the bitter struggle has finally come to an end. The Adrestian Empire and the Agarthans have been defeated and peace begins to set in for a newly united kingdom. Rhea should be celebrating with her friends and family but instead she finds herself at the Goddess Tower, contemplating her deeds and blame in all the events that transpired. Most of all, she finds herself particularly focusing on her new found feelings for Byleth. Would he ever reciprocate them? Only in time's flow will the answer be told.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Rhea, My Unit | Byleth/Rhea
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Under the Starlight

**Author's Note:**

> First off: Spoilers for Silver Snow route of FE3H, if that wasn't clear already.  
> Today I am happy to write for one of my favorite ladies of FE3H and was planning on posting this today since it's her birthday here, January 11th. So happy birthday Lady Rhea and a happy St. Seiros Day! Huh, how odd they take place on the same day. I'm sure it's a coincidence. I love Rhea and wanted to write a mushy scene with her and Byleth. It's partly based on her S-support with some of her dialogue taken from it, in case it looks familiar to anyone. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Five years. It had been five years since the war had begun. It had dragged on and taken so many lives, desolated the land, and tore at the fabric of the continent. Rhea has experienced this before. More times than she could count. But it is over now, hopefully forever this time. Byleth’s reappearance in the war led to a swift victory over the Adrestian Empire and the death of its empress. After that, Rhea was freed and assisted in aiding in the destruction of the Argarthans, hopefully permanently this time.

Then, her memory went into a haze. She was overcome with emotions and years of torture under the Empire’s hand had led to her to become lost in a trance. She didn’t fully remember what had happened but was told by the others of the damage she did. She was horrified at the monster she became and was relieved that she was stopped before anyone took any fatal injuries.

After the battle, she confined herself to her room, no different from how she acted before the war, only now burdened with more guilt and sorrow. It was a time of triumph, she should be happy. Yet, even in the beginnings of a new era of a united Fódlan, she could not bring herself to find joy. She had made peace with her mother never returning. It was not an easy thing to do, given all that she had done and the morals of her actions to attempt to restore her to the world. Even though her need for her mother weighed on her, she realized that the people’s need for protection and leadership would come from Byleth now. He was more than capable of inspiring the new united Fódlan into 

Byleth, what to say about him? The man who started out as a mere mercenary, to a professor, a leader of an army, to ruler of Fódlan. He meant more to her than that though. She once saw him as a way to restore her mother and bring peace to the land, but that had passed. He may not fully be her but that might be a good thing.

He is his own person. She has come to recognize that. Her feelings towards him had evolved beyond a familial desire. She cared deeply for him in ways that made her recoil at first. She loved him, yet she knew she did not deserve him. After all the harm she had done, she believed that she did not deserve true happiness.

She stood outside on the Goddess Tower’s balcony, contemplating her feelings that went deeper than just admiration for him. However, as if time and fate dictated it, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see the man she had been thinking of approaching her.

He seemed tired, though she could not blame him. A leader in a war rarely had time to rest, let alone such a war as this. He made his way towards her, his face its usual stoic self, though she could swear she saw an upturn of a smile upon his lips. He may be difficult to read but she had grown better at it over the time they’ve known each other.

“Hello, Byleth.” Rhea spoke. “Are the revelries finished?”

“No, they are still going on into the night. I have no doubt all of the soldiers will be sore in the morning. Not to mention my personal teammates cheering me as their new leader.” Byleth said in his monotone voice.

“How are you handling yourself under all of this? You look positively fatigued.” 

“I am fine, Lady Rhea. I am taking my break from my duties right now.”

Rhea was surprised at his statement. “Please now Byleth, I’ve told you that I am just Rhea to you. Perhaps, even Seiros, if you so choose to call me that. Though, you are spending your time here instead of celebrating? Whatever drove you here?”

“I came looking for you. I wished to see if you were alright after… what transpired at the Monastery.” His tone drifted into one of worry. She had not seen him convey such an emotion, nor did she think it would be at her. Did he truly care for her?

“I…I am healing. I cannot fathom the harm I inflicted. I have no idea how I lost control like that. I cannot fully remember the events and do not wish to.” 

A pregnant silence fell between them. She was worried he would shun her after seeing her other form. The monster that she had become.

“I thought I saw her. My mother, while I flew to the ground.” She broke the silence with a hidden confession.

“I tried to speak to her, I thought I could hear her. I… prayed that I would be with her.”

“You wanted to die?” Byleth posed the question, trembling for saying it yet knowing the answer.

“Is it not what I deserve? Do I deserve to live and be happy after what I’ve done?” She turned away from him, tears coming down after contemplating what strife she has caused and how he must see her. She just wanted to be alone, as she always was. As she always would be. The world may be saved but for her it is the same as before. She knows she has to live with the consequences and blame on her shoulders.

Shoulders that soon flinched unexpectedly when she felt arms wrap around her. She felt his body come behind hers in a hug soothing her in his warmth.

“You deserve to be happy after all that you have been through. I am glad you lived.” His gentle murmur of those words soothed her more than she could ever hope for.

“You still believe that? After you saw what I became?”

A soft “mhmm” was all she got in response. Somehow, that was what she needed to hear. A simple sound letting her know everything was alright. A mirthful smile played along her features.

“I...thank you. Your acceptance is something I needed the most. I suppose reassuring people will be one of your new duties as future leader of Fódlan.”

“And what of you, Rhea? What will you do?”

Her expression returned back to its melancholy state. “I am no longer fit to lead. Maybe I never was. My intentions were to keep peace in Fódlan, yet I lied and created a falsified history and deceived my faithful followers, the very people I wanted to protect. And my greatest crime, using my position to further my own goal to bring back my mother… the lengths I went to for it are by now known to you.”

She began to shiver in his hands as her guilt began to wash over her. “My actions cannot be overlooked for their part in the war. Please, I know you may not forgive me but I offer my apologies—“

“I hold no resentment towards you, Rhea”. His words cut through her own. She could not believe what she was hearing. How could he not hold any animosity, any anger or hate towards her? How could he find it in his heart to forgive her?

“I am happy that you are alive, Rhea. Your actions… cannot be overlooked. Though, you were not alone in the cause of this conflict. The Agarthans share more blame than any of us. More than you, more than Edelgard. They… used her. She was nothing more than another puppet to them. Another Nemesis. In the end, I wished she could see that. That her goals were not entirely her own. That Dmitri and Claude may yet be alive, that Edelgard could join us with them against the Agarthans.” His tone dropped as he mentioned his former student and her fellow leaders of Fódlan. 

Their deaths struck a chord within both of them. The Agarthans turned their friends into enemies and planned to kill them all after they were done. Byleth could not let that go unavenged. Rhea could empathize with his loss. His father’s murder, betrayal from former friends, and seeing the horrors the Agarthans were capable of creating. She had lived through the same things.

“Still, even if I am not solely responsible, does that mean I deserve to live and enjoy my life? I am the one who has caused your fate to be so intertwined with the path of Fódlan. Surely I am to blame for your suffering.”

Byleth pondered the statement before nodding. “You deserve to be happy. If not for you, I would not be here at all. You did not bring my mother and father together, nor did you know fully what would happen concerning my birth. My mother… from what I’ve learned from my father’s diary, was a caring woman. She gave to those in need and helped as she could. Her final act was to save my life in return for her own. You only played the part in honoring her wish.”

Rhea remembered Sitri fondly. Her life was short yet full of love. Rhea saw her as her own daughter and was thrilled when she was engaged to Jeralt, and even more so when she announced she was pregnant with Byleth. However, the day of the birth is one she wishes she could forget. Byleth was not breathing… he had no heartbeat. Sitri was dying from childbirth and could not stand her baby dying the last thing she saw. She begged Rhea to take out the Crest Stone within her, her very own heart, and use it to save Byleth. Even in her final moments, Sitri was the most loving and selfless person Rhea had ever met. 

“I… am grateful to you that you see me that way. I want to thank you for all that you have done. Saving the world from Agarthans, the Adrestian Empire, and… myself. I only wish I could reward you in some form for all that you have done. But I have nothing left to offer as recompense for your deeds”.

Byleth smiled at Rhea’s response. “That is not true. There is one thing you can offer me; your hand.” Byleth reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. 

“You… brought me a ring? You’re serious, aren’t you?” Rhea stammered and her face flushed upon seeing the ring. She turned her head and saw Byleth’s face, once emotionless, overcome with the same blush as she wore. A curt nod was her answer as he could not untie his tongue.

“I am overjoyed!” Rhea turned to face Byleth and allowed him to slip on the ring. “My answer is yes! I will marry you!” Tears once again streamed down her face, only this time overcome with glee at Byleth.

“I love you, Rhea. I came here looking for you to propose. After I heard that you were taken by the Empire I was worried you were possibly dead. Then seeing the risk of you dying during our moment of victory, I could not wait anymore. I wish to be with you forever.” Byleth’s passion could be felt through his declaration of love. She could tell that all of his words were sincere.

“Then… I shall stand by your side forever. I shall support your reign as leader of Fódlan and help you restore a peaceful time to our land. We shall overcome all obstacles and reform the land for the good of everyone. No longer shall we need to hide the truth, we shall help this land recover from the war and longer live in fear of the Agarthan threat. I believe that together we can achieve anything and make Fódlan’s future as bright as the stars in the sky.”

Byleth took Rhea’s hands in his own, as he leaned in to kiss her. She returned in kind as they had a calm moment and peaceful moment together after the storm of troubles they had been through. After they broke apart, Rhea gazed into Byleth’s eyes as he returned her look.

Byleth then shifted one of his hands to her hips. “Care to dance, Rhea?” 

Rhea’s heart skipped a beat and gave a simple nod and smile, such the way that he had done in response to her questions. They began to sway together under the starlight of the night sky. The world around them vanished in the moment, for there was just them and their new found love for each other.


End file.
